An Analysis of Slang-Published Article 2023

วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มทร.
ธัญบุรี ปีที่ 4 ฉบับที่ 2 (กรกฎาคม-ธันวาคม 2566)

72 Journal of Liberal Arts, RMUTT Vol.4 No.2 (July-December 2023)
การวิเคราะห์คาสแลงที่ใช้ในภาพยนตร์เรื่อง “How to Train Your Dragon”

นันทพงศ์ วุฑฒวิภาต1 นิภัทร์ โพธิ์อ่อง2 สุทธสินี งามแก้ว3 ภัคจิรา อุธร4 ธวัชชัย ใจศิริ5*
An Analysis of Slang Words Used in the Animation “How to Train Your Dragon”
Nuntapong Wuttavipart1, Nipat Pho-ong2, Sutthasinee Ngamkaew3,
Pakjira U-thorn4, Tawatchai Chaisiri5*
Received 02/05/2023 Revised 30/09/2023 Accepted 04/10/2023

https://doi.org/10.60101/jla.2023.4.2.2791
บทคัดย่อ
ภาพยนตร์แอนิเมชั่นหรือภาพยนตร์การ์ตูนได้กลายเป็นหนึ่งในสื่อที่ได้รับความนิยมสูงสุดในหมู่ผู้คนทุกเพศทุกวัย
แม้ผู้ชมหลักส่วนใหญ่จะเป็นเด็ก ในบางครั้งเมื่อดูแอนิเมชั่น บทสนทนาระหว่างตัวละครในภาพยนตร์อาจทาให้ผู้ชมที่เป็น
เยาวชนสับสนหรือเข้าใจผิดได้ การศึกษานี้จึงมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อระบุคาสแลงที่ใช้ในแอนิเมชันเรื่อง How to Train Your
Dragon (2010) เนื่องจากเป็นภาพยนตร์ที่มีบทสนทนาที่สนุกสนานและน่าสนใจสาหรับผู้ชมทุกกลุ่มที่หลากหลาย หากยังมีคา
สแลงที่อ าจเข้า ใจยากในหมู่เ ยาวชน ผู้ วิจั ย จึ งศึก ษาค าสแลงที่ ใ ช้ ใ นบทภาพยนตร์ และอธิบ ายความหมายในบริบ ทของ
ภาพยนตร์ จัดหมวดหมู่ของคาสแลงตามตามประเภทที่กาหนดในขอบเขตการวิจัย และคานวณหาค่าสถิติเชิงพรรณนา ได้แก่
ค่าความถี่และร้อยละ ข้อมูลที่ใช้ในการศึกษาคือบทภาพยนตร์ซึ่งอยู่ในรูปแบบของไฟล์ PDF ที่ได้มาจากเว็ปไซต์ Netflix และ
คาจากัดความของคาสแลงจากเว็บไซต์พจนานุกรมออนไลน์ต่าง ๆ ผลการวิจัยพบว่ามีคาสแลงทั้งหมด 28 คาที่ปรากฏใน
ภาพยนตร์ แบ่งเป็น 5 ประเภท ได้แก่ ประเภทที่ใช้บ่อยที่สุด คือ Fresh and Creative รองลงมาคือ Clipping, Imitative
และ Flippant ตามลาดับ ในขณะที่ไม่พบ Acronym ในบทภาพยนตร์เลย คาสแลงเหล่านี้มีประโยชน์สาหรับการแนะนาผู้ชม
ที่เป็นเยาวชนในการทาความเข้าใจกับภาพยนตร์ได้ดียิ่งขึ้น และยังเป็นประโยชน์สาหรับผู้เรียนภาษาอังกฤษเป็นภาษาที่สอง
หรือภาษาต่างประเทศที่สนใจเรียนภาษาอังกฤษผ่านสื่อภาพยนตร์อีกด้วย
คาสาคัญ: คาสแลง แอนิเมชั่น ภาพยนตร์การ์ตูน บทภาพยนตร์
Abstract
Animation movies have become increasingly popular among people of all ages, including children.
Sometimes, the use of slang in character dialogues can confuse or mislead young viewers. This study aimed to
investigate slang words used in the animation “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010) since the dialogues are
enjoyable, and the characters are intriguing to a wide range of audiences, though slang words in the movie
could be identified and used as guidance for young children. As a result, the slang words used in the movie
were identified and explained in terms of definitions in the context of use, categorized into designated types,
and calculated using descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentage. The data used in this study
were the script in the form of a PDF file derived from Netflix and online dictionary websites. It was found that
there are 28 slang words that appear in the movie. There are five types of slang words including the most
1, 2, 3, 4
สาขาวิชาภาษาอังกฤษเพื่อการสื่อสาร คณะศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยีราชมงคลธัญบุรี
English for Communication Program, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi
5
ผู้ช่วยศาสตราจารย์ สาขาภาษาตะวันตก สาขาวิชาภาษา คณะศิลปศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยีราชมงคลธัญบุรี
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi,
E-mail: tawatchai_c@rmutt.ac.th
*
Corresponding author e-mail: tawatchai_c@rmutt.ac.th
วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มทร.ธัญบุรี ปีที่ 4 ฉบับที่ 2 (กรกฎาคม-ธันวาคม 2566) 73
Journal of Liberal Arts, RMUTT Vol.4 No.2 (July-December 2023)
common type of Fresh and Creative, followed by Clipping, Imitative, and Flippant, respectively, while Acronym
was not found. These slang words are useful for young audiences to make sense of the movie when guided by
adult audiences, and they can be beneficial for ESL/ESL English learners who are interested in learning English
through films.
Keywords: slang words, animations, films, movie scripts
Introduction
People are social creatures that require interaction. There are a few methods that individuals
frequently employ to interact with one another. The attraction has a connection to sociolinguistics
(Trudgill, 1984), the field of study related to the interaction of language and society. The reality is that
none of us have the authority to define what a word means to ourselves. According to Trudgill (2000),
words have meanings that are shared between individuals. Without this social contract, communication
would not be possible. Thus, everyone who can communicate effectively has to ensure that the person
he or she is speaking to can understand the language being used.
Slang is regarded as a highly casual term or expression that exists in casual discourse. Even
though slang is widely used nowadays, in the past it was frequently connected to coarse terms that were
regarded as nonstandard language. To this end, slang, which is the most nonlinguistic type of language, is
said to have developed from the particular languages of subcultures, a subset of a cultural community
that distinguishes itself from the traditional and conservative norms to which it belongs while frequently
preserving some of its original ideas (Maurer, 2021). Thus, slang is something that no one can describe but
that everyone can recognize. According to Yule (2017), slang is a part of social life that changes
throughout time, particularly among young people. Additionally, Allan and Burridge (2006) categorize
slang expressions into five groups comprising original, imitative, clipping, coinage, and imitative. Slang also
has some social functions. One of them is to discuss the deeds, worries, opinions, pursuits, and activities
of the other participants who partake in comparable talks and activities. As a result, slang is utilized across
society in settings including homes, workplaces, markets, and schools. However, the use of slang by
teenagers continues to be a source of slang innovation and new slang development (Sanghvi, 2022), some
of which, to a certain extent, is influenced by the success of the film industry.
Analyses of slang words used in movies have been conducted and studied by many scholars in
the literature, e.g. Panjaitan (2017), Latifah (2017), Cecilika (2021), and Selviana (2021); however, the
investigation is rare when it comes to animations, which are beneficial for young children to make sense
of this kind of entertainment platform. The origins of animation can be found in ancient times
(MasterClass, 2021) throughout the history. Animation has taken many different forms and evolved into
the technical marvel we see today. Some people think that the animated images and facial expressions
found on early Grecian pottery were the first examples of animation (ibid.). Thus, animation is the process
of giving diverse things or pictures life via moving visuals. This is because animation techniques combine
images and drawings to provide the impression of movement while telling a story to the audience,
especially young viewers.
In this study, the researchers investigated slang words used in the animation “How to Train Your
Dragon” (2010), which is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated action-fantasy film loosely based on the
วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มทร.ธัญบุรี ปีที่ 4 ฉบับที่ 2 (กรกฎาคม-ธันวาคม 2566)
2003 book of the same name by Cressida Cowell, produced by DreamWorks Animation (Lewis, 2020), and
distributed by Paramount Pictures. The researchers chose this animation because it has interesting,
enjoyable dialogues and the characters’ conversations are unique; however, to a certain extent, it uses
slang words that could cause young audiences to misinterpret the meanings that the characters are
attempting to convey. The procedure used for analyzing the data was to watch the movie on the Netflix
platform and analyze the dialogues that appear in the film to find out the meanings and types of slang
based on the theory proposed by Allan and Burridge (2006).
Literature Review
Useful terms related to the analysis of slang words and significant previous studies of slang words
used in movies are described as the following.
Slang
Slang refers to unusual phrases or words that represent something in a fresh or innovative
way, often giving new life to old concepts (Maurer, 2021). It is sarcastic, inappropriate, and irreverent. In
addition, a slang word could even be offensive or improper. What gives slang distinctive flavor is the fact
that it is short, occasionally funny, and usually offensive. Slang frequently makes fun of respectability
through colorful comparisons. In other words, slang is a group of words that are used in a particular social
context distinctly. Furthermore, slang initially appeared in literature, where it is described as the dialect
used by London’s low-class and criminal populations. Slang roots are uncertain; however, it is likely that
the term was first used much earlier (Partridge, 1954, 1970).
Development of Slang
Slang develops when people disagree on ideals. This means that when individuals differ on
acceptable behavior, slang is created. Some people use language in a creative way to express hostility,
scorn, or disdain. The expression can become popular if the speaker belongs to a group that realizes its
emotional responses to the concept. A new slang expression frequently becomes popular in a subculture
before emerging in the mainstream. Thus, slang—such as sucker, honkey, shave-tail, and jerk—expresses
the opinions of one group or class toward the ideals of another, which are not always disparaging.
Shotgun wedding, cake eater, and greasy spoon are a few instances of slang that develops within a
community and mocks or burlesques the group’s customs. Thus, slang is largely the result of societal
factors rather than the creation of a word by a single speaker or author. It is challenging to pinpoint the
creator of slang unless there is written documentation or a record of it.
Types of Slang
Slang can be categorized into five main groups, according to Allan and Burridge (2006),
comprising fresh and creative, flippant, imitative, acronym, and clipping.
Fresh and creative characterizes slang as a language feature that fosters the creation of
new words, ingenuity, informal variation, and inventiveness, in addition to the usage of current terms.
Although we are unaware of some slang words, many of them are probably already familiar to us. This
type of slang exists for a very long time. According to Allan and Burridge (2006), it first arose in the 18th
century. For instance, when referring to a male, especially the elder one, the term Daddy is first
employed in the US for the first time in 1928 (Dalzell & Victor, 2015). Another example of slang is
Mommy, which refers to an older lady.
Flippant is a term or phrase made up of two or more words that have a new meaning
distinct from the literal meaning of the word. One definition of break a leg is good fortune. When the two
words are used alone, they each have a completely distinct meaning. Nevertheless, when they are
combined to form a phrase, the meaning is different from what it was when the words were used
separately.
Imitative is a two-word phrase that mimics traditional English use. It is made up of two
separate words. As an example, the word wanna is derived from want to. Another example is gonna,
which is derived from going to. However, these slang phrases are often used in spoken English, not in
written English.
Acronym is formed from the acronym that comprises the initials of the phrase, or the first
letters of all the words in the phrase are used to construct a slang word. For instance, the abbreviation
LOL refers to laughing out loud on the Internet, which was first used in the US in 1991 (Dalzell & Victor,
2008, p. 406). Another example is YOLO, which still refers to its original meaning in Standard English. It
means that You only have one life (ibid.).
Clipping is a category of slang that is made by cutting out a portion of a lengthier term to
get a shorter form that retains the same meaning. An example of a word being used to indicate because
is cuz. Another example is the word til, which is derived from until.
Use of Slang Words

Slang is used for a variety of things, but typically it expresses an emotional attitude when
being used by various persons, and the same term can express attitudes that are completely at odds with
one another (Partridge, 1954, 1970). Even while most slang expressions are insulting, when used in close
proximity or with fondness, they can also be ambiguous. Slang can be used for a wide variety of other
things, depending on the person and his position in society. Since most slang is spoken, most users are
probably unaware that it is slang, which is why the terms adopted naturally reflect a variety of
subconscious thought patterns. In contrast, in writing, Partridge (ibid.) maintains that slang is far more
purposefully and carefully chosen when employed by writers to produce a particular impression;
however, writers do not often create their own slang.
Previous Studies on Slang in Movies
Most of the studies conducted to analyze slang used in a movie employ a qualitative
approach, while the data analysis process is based solely on a movie script being used to identify each
type of slang words in the movie. However, the theories and analyses used differ from study to study.
Panjaitan’s (2017) study, An Analysis of Slang Language in Zootopia Movie, employed a
qualitative approach, describing the state of affairs in the movie. The study fosters the notion of
constructivism, a qualitative strategy that attempts to comprehend phenomena and use objective
evidence. For accurate data based on the theory employed, the researcher had observations several
times in that the dialogues the characters used in this film were the data sources of the study. The
transcript and footage of the movie Zootopia served as the basis for use in the data analysis. After
repeatedly watching the video, the researcher attempted to identify the use of slang in the movie in
detail. The investigation revealed 16 slang terms that the author had gathered using the slang theory.
Fourteen slang terms are part of Society slang out of the proposed five categories of slang words. The
study concludes that because it is used in daily speech and is tied to society, the majority of slang
language is categorized as Society slang. The author also recommends that future researchers continue
under consideration of this study by examining slang language in different contexts.
Similarly, An Analysis on Slang in the Boss Baby Movie is a study conducted by Wulandari (2019).
Document manuscripts were employed as the research source for qualitative research. Using dictionaries and
slang-related theories, the words that have slang words in context were identified. In this study, the researcher
was regarded as the main instrument. The movie script was used as a basis for the data analysis. The findings
reveal four different categories of slang: 3 words of Cockney slang, 11 words of Public House slang, 6 words of
Society slang, and 2 words of Commerce slang. The analysis assisted the researcher to identify the most
common slang in the movie, which is Public House.
Selviana’s (2021) study, An Analysis of Slang Words Used in “Toy Story 4” Movie Script, is another piece
of research that is based on sociolinguistics, the study of how language and society interact, concentrating solely
on the linguistic characteristics (Trudgill, 2000). Selviana observed that the major characters in the movie
frequently engage in conversations using slang terms that may sound strange to those who do not use or
understand them. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to identify the varieties and use of slang words. The
study used the documentation approach for data collection, and content analysis was used to examine the
categories and purposes of slang words, as defined by Allan and Burridge (2006). Thorsten’s method was then
used to calculate the outcomes of many forms and purposes of slang. 126 slang words were found. Fresh and
creative slang was at the top of the slang hierarchy, whereas compounding slang was at the bottom. While
expressing closeness was slang’s primary purpose, expressing wrath was its lowest.
An Analysis of Slang Word in “Rush Hour” Movie: Sociolinguistic Approach is another piece of research
conducted by Cecilika (2021). In this study, the types and purposes of slang used in the Rush Hour movie are
examined and explained. The hypothesis of Allan and Burridge (2006) was applied, and the study also
employed a qualitative descriptive approach, while the method of data collection was observation. There are
31 pieces of information pertaining to the various slang terms used by the characters in the Rush Hour movie.
Four of them are fresh and innovative, another four are flippant, twelve are imitative, two are acronym, and
nine are clipping. The researcher also discovered 16 slang words used for various purposes in the characters’
utterances. There are six freshness and novelty functions, four informality and database functions, one
playfulness and humor function, and one desire to impress and faddishness function amongst others.
Last but not least, Latifah (2017) conducted a study titled An Analysis of Slang Words in the Deadpool
Movie. The results showed that word production procedures, i.e., six affixations, one conversion, six cuttings,
ten blends, one abbreviation, and nineteen compounds, could produce slang words. Sociolinguistic theory
(Holmes, 2013) takes into account social factors and dimensions, which are used to explain why slang is
developed based on these word production categories. Participants, context, subject, and purpose are the
factors that affected how slang is used. In addition, social distance, status, and two functional measures were
used to analyze the use of slang since these social dimensions were connected to social factors. The study
suggests that many aspects of slang should be investigated in greater detail to deepen our understanding and
add new vocabulary.
In a nutshell, there has only been a small amount of previously conducted research on
evaluating slang vocabulary in films. In addition, the results of those studies have not been widely
disseminated, neither among English language learners nor among movie enthusiasts, or anyone
interested in slang words.
Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were to:
1. investigate how many slang words are used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon.”
2. Identify types of slang words used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon.”
3. explain the meanings of slang words used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon.”
Research Questions
1. How many slang words are used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon”?
2. What are the types of slang words used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon”?
3. What are the meanings of slang words used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon”?
Methodology
Research Design
This is a descriptive qualitative study, the purpose of which was to figure out the slang terms
and their intended meanings in the film "How to Train Your Dragon." According to Strauss and Corbin
(1990), descriptive qualitative research is a type of research that does not rely on quantitative or statistical
methods. In the study, the researchers viewed the internet movie multiple times to understand the slang
phrases used in it, and they also used the movie script available on a website to perform textual analysis.
To understand and find out the meanings of slang words, online dictionaries were used. The collected
data were analyzed using the types of slang words proposed by Allan and Burridge (2006).
Research Instruments
In the study, a PDF file transcript and subtitles on the platform Netflix were used, and they
can be downloaded for free at www.fandom.com (Fandom, 2023). After the movie script or subtitles were
downloaded from the website, https://howtotrainyourdragon.fandom.com/wiki/How_to_Train_Your_
Dragon_(transcript) (How to Train Your Dragon Wiki, 2010), and the data were saved as a PDF file to make
it easier for analyzing the dialogues. The collected texts describe the situations or gestures in which the
characters are involved at a particular point of time in the movie.
The study also employed online dictionary websites, i.e., Cambridge Dictionary (2023), Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2023), Urban Dictionary (2023), and Collins English
Dictionary (Collins, 2023), to find the meaning in context of each of the slang words. The choice to use a
specific online dictionary website was based on the availability of the slang and in-depth meanings
provided.
Data Collection and Analysis
For the data collection procedure, after studying slang types by Allan and Burridge (2006), the
researchers separately watched the movie “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010) through the Netflix
platform several times. Also, the PDF script was used on hand for slang word identification. They watched
the movie separately and read the script simultaneously to identify the slang words that occur in the
movie, the time that the characters spoke those slang words, and types of slang in their ideas by filling
out information into the Excel form, which was created for the data analysis purpose. The Excel file of
each researcher, then, was combined into a file and sorted according to the chronological order of the
slang word found in the movie. The researchers mutually checked the slang words found by each
researcher and discussed if they all agreed. At this stage of analysis, online dictionaries were also used to
recheck accuracy for a suitable definition of each slang word. If a slang word found was not clear whether
it was exactly slang or not, repeatedly, the researchers considered its definitions and meanings in that
context that was relevant to the context in the movie. Ultimately, a decision was made by consensus.
After that, the entire selection of slang words from the movie was used as the database for
further analysis, i.e., to categorize those slang words found and identify their proper meanings both in
Thai and English based on the context in which they are used in the movie—using reliable online
dictionaries. Each slang word was labeled with its category and the meaning in context before frequency
and percentage were calculated regarding the objectives of the study.
Results
The findings in this study are divided into three parts based on the related research questions as
follows:
1. How many slang words are used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon”?
It is found that 28 slang words first appear in the order in the movie, the frequency of which is
shown in parentheses as follows: Mornin’, Doin’ (2), Nah, toothpicks, meat-head, Yeah (17), ’em, juice,
gimme (2), Dad (20), Ya (2), beefy, Fish bone, undies, Gonna (6), ’cause (10), Nope, Babe, Mom, Yep (2),
Bud (11), Buddy (6), Gosh, Gotta (3), till (8), Kinda, my man, and tweak.
2. What are types of slang words used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon”?
Fresh and Creative The researchers found 16 slang words (57.14%) that can be classified into
Fresh and creative, as illustrated in Table 1.
Table 1 Fresh and Creative Type of Slang
No. Minute/Time Slang Word Meaning
1 0:02:21 Nah No (ไม่)
2 0:02:29 toothpicks A person who is thin (ขี้ก้าง)
3 0:05:34 Yeah Yes (ใช่)
4 0:05:48 juice Power (ฤทธิ์เดช)
5 0:07:21 Dad Father (พ่อ)
6 0:08:56 beefy Strong or muscular (ล่าบึก)
7 0:09:01 Fish bone A person who is thin (ในที่นี้หมายถึงผอมแห้ง)
8 0:11:01 undies underwear (กางเกงชั้นใน)
9 0:19:24 Nope No (ไม่)
10 0:26:46 Babe Baby (ที่รัก)
11 0:34:13 Mom Mother (เเม่)
12 0:39:03 Yep Yes (ใช่)
13 0:44:11 Buddy A partner (ไอ้เกลอ)
14 0:44:57 Gosh God (พระเจ้า)
15 1:01:16 my man A person who is your friend (เพื่อน)
16 1:27:42 tweak A slight adjustment or modification (การปรับแต่ง)
Clipping The researchers found 7 slang words (25%) that can be classified as clipping, as shown
in Table 2.
Table 2 Clipping Type of Slang

1 0:01:34 Mornin’ Morning (หวัดดี)
2 0:01:37 Doin’ Doing (ทาอะไร)
3 0:05:44 ’em Them (พวกเขา)
4 0:08:00 Ya You (คุณ)
5 0:15:46 ’cause Because (เพราะว่า)
6 0:43:36 Bud Buddy (คู่หู)
7 0:48:08 ’till Until (จนกระทั่ง)
Imitative The researchers found 4 slang words (14.29%) that can be classified as Imitative, as
shown in Table 3.
Table 3 Imitative Type of Slang
1 0:06:00 Gimme Give me (ให้ฉัน)
2 0:13:25 Gonna Going to (กาลังจะ)
3 0:45:02 Gotta Have got to (ต้อง)
4 0:50:29 Kinda Kind of (ค่อนข้าง)
Flippant The researchers found 1 slang word (3.57%) that can be classified as Flippant, as
shown in Table 4.
Table 4 Flippant Type of Slang
1 0:02:32 meat-head A stupid person (บ้องตื้น)
3. What are the meanings of slang words used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon”?
The detailed description of each slang word is as the following:
Mornin’ : Hiccup is seen dodging several Vikings. A nearby explosion from the blast of a teal
Gronckle causes him to trip and a male Viking roars in his face. The quoted conversation: 0:01:33 - 0:01:38
Ack: ARGGGHHHHH! Mornin’!
Hoark: What are you doing here?!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word Mornin’, which is a greeting, means Morning but
people get lazier. Typically, it is used more in verbal than in written language. In the situation, Ack notices
Hiccup who appeared on the battlefield and uses the word Mornin’ to greet him.
Doin’ : Hiccup is running among several Vikings; meanwhile, he is seen dodging them. The
quoted conversation: 0:01:38 - 0:01:41
Viking: What are you doin’ out?
Phlegma: Get back inside!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Doin’” is basic slang for “Doing” in the United
States. In the situation, Hiccup, who appeared on the battlefield. The Vikings use the word “Doin’” to ask
why he was there.
Nah : Hiccup runs into a blacksmith shop and puts on an apron. The quoted conversation:
0:02:17 - 0:02:25
Gobber: Ah! Nice of you to join the party! I thought you’d been carried off!
Hiccup: What, who me? Nah, come on! I’m waaaay too muscular for their taste.
According to Collins English Dictionary (2023), the word “Nah” is a slang word for “no.” “Nah” is
only an adverb, but “no” can be both an adverb and an adjective. In the situation, Hiccup said “Nah”
because he doesn’t believe the dragon will actually eat him.
Toothpicks : Gobber didn’t buy Hiccup’s opinion of his appearance, which he finds admirable.
The quoted conversation: 0:02:25 - 0:02:30
Hiccup: They wouldn’t know what to do with all... (gestures to his skinny body) ...this.
Gobber: Well, they need toothpicks, don’t they?
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Toothpicks” means “a name for a person who is
overly thin and looks like a toothpick.” In the situation, Hiccup has confidence in his appearance, but
Gobber doesn’t think the same way as him. Thus, he said Hiccup was too skinny, like a “toothpick.”
Meat-head : Hiccup describes the appearance of Gobber. Hiccup has also been his apprentice
since he was little. The quoted conversation: 0:02:32 - 0:02:39
Hiccup: The meat-head with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I’ve been his
apprentice ever since I was little. Well... littler.
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Meat-head” means “a person who reveals idiotic
behavior or other signs of incompetence.” In the situation, Hiccup uses the word “meat-head” to
describe Gobber’s appearance because he thinks Gobber has different behavior compared with others.
Yeah : Hiccup is running outside the fort and is pushing a cart with the automated catapult on it.
Vikings: Come back here!
Hiccup: Yeah, I know! Be right back!
According to Collins English Dictionary (2023), the word “Yeah” is commonly equated with the
word “yes”. In the situation, the Vikings were confused about why Hiccup was going onto the battlefield,
and they wanted him to be back. Hiccup understood and said “Yeah” to respond to their desire.
’em : Tuffnut encourages his friend Hiccup as he enters the arena and grabs a dagger from the
weapons stand. The quoted conversation: 1:01:06 - 1:01:17
Gobber: It’s time, Hiccup. Knock him dead.
Tuffnut: Show ’em how it’s done, my man!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “’em” is a short or slang way of saying “them.” In
this situation, Tuffnut encourages Hiccup to show his abilities to “’em”, which is a short of “them.”
Juice : Stoick captures several of the dragons in a net and wrestles them. One tries to blast him
with fire. He reminds the other Vikings that the dragons have the power to fight. The quoted conversation:
0:05:41 - 0:05:49
Stoick: Mind yourselves!
Stoick: The devils still have some juice in them!
According to the Wordtype.org, the word “Juice” means “power.” In the situation, While Stoick
was capturing several dragons, one fell off the net. The dragon still has the “power” to fight with Stoick.
Gimme : Hiccup sets up his bola catapult on an empty hill and looks around to find the dragon.
Suddenly, an explosion illuminates it, showing a visible shadow. Then, Hiccup shoots the dragon, and a
loud cry is heard as the shadow is seen plummeting down into a forest. He yelled for other Vikings to
come see what he was up to, but instead the dragon arrived and crushed Hiccup’s bola launcher. The
quoted conversation: 0:05:50 - 0:06:33
Hiccup: Come on. Gimme something to shoot at, gimme something to shoot at
Hiccup: Oh, I hit it! YES! I HIT IT! Did anybody see that?
Hiccup: Except for you.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “gimme” stands for “give me.” In the situation,
Hiccup looks forward to shooting the dragon that approaches in the range of his bola catapult, so he
wishes by saying “gimme” that the dragon will appear.
Dad : Hiccup runs away from the dragon and hides behind the big torch. The dragon knew and
fired at the torch. Stoick sees that and tries to help Hiccup. After that, the torch was burned for a few
minutes. The quoted conversation: 0:07:10 - 0:07:38
Hiccup: Sorry, Dad. Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.
Hiccup: It’s not like the last few times, Dad! I mean, I really actually hit it!
According to Vocabulary.com, the word “Dad” is an informal word for “father.” It is a word like
“pop” or “daddy.” In the situation, Hiccup wants Stoick, who is his “dad” to see that he can shoot the
dragon, but Stoick has seen several failures that he has made.
ya : Stoick scolded Hiccup for not following Stoick’s orders, going into the battlefield, and
destroying everything Stoick had planned. The quoted conversation: 0:07:54 - 0:08:04
Hiccup: Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don’t ya think?
Stoick: This isn’t a joke, Hiccup!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “ya” is the abbreviated form of “you” in writing and
in casual conversation. In the situation, Hiccup tries to persuade Stoick to feed the villagers less by saying,
“Don’t ya think?” because they are completely plump.
Beefy and Fish bone : Hiccup feels neglected by his father because he wasn’t born as his father
expected. Hiccup imitates the customer who orders the father’s expectation. The quoted conversation:
0:08:49 - 0:09:00
Hiccup: Excuse me, barmaid! I’m afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra
large boy with beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish bone!
According to Vocabulary.com, the word “Beefy” refers to “Someone who’s beefy has a big,
dense, muscular body.” In the situation, Hiccup imitates the customer who places the order and his
father’s expectations. He imagines that Stoick wants the son who has a large, dense, and powerful body.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word “Fishbone” means “a shape or an object that looks
like the skeleton of a fish.” In the situation, Hiccup mimics the ordering customer and fulfills his father’s
expectations. He imagines that Stoick desires the beefy offspring but receives the boy who is too thin.
Undies : Stoick wants Gobber to teach some new recruits instead of packing his belongings for
the upcoming voyage. The quoted conversation: 0:09:59 - 0:10:03
Gobber: Right, I’ll pack my undies.
Stoick: No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits.
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Undies” means “Underpants,” originally an Australian
slang term. In the situation, Gobber will pack his stuff for the coming journey, but he humorously refers to
them as his “Undies.”
gonna : Hiccup steps on the seemingly dead dragon’s face, but it is still alive, and it shoves him
away. Then, Hiccup picks up a knife and tries to kill the dragon. The quoted conversation: 0:13:00 - 0:13:33
Hiccup: I’m going to kill you, dragon.
Hiccup: I’m gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the slang word “gonna” is used in the dialogue above. It
comes from the verb “going to,” which means I will. In the situation, Hiccup saw the nearly dead dragon,
so he decided to kill the dragon to take its heart and bring it to his father. At last, he can’t do it.
’cause : Stoick accepts Hiccup’s wish, and he will send Hiccup to a dragon training program;
conversely, Hiccup doesn’t want to be a Viking anymore because he can’t kill the dragon. The quoted
conversation: 0:15:39 - 0:15:57
Stoick: Alright. You get your wish. Dragon Training. You start in the morning.
Hiccup: Oh, man, I should’ve gone first! Uh, ’cause I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus
of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough... bread-making Vikings, or small home repair Vikings--?
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “’cause” is the short form of “because”. Moreover,
can be shortened further to “cuz”. In the situation, Hiccup explains to his father why he doesn’t want to
be the Viking.
Nope : Snotlout is talking to Astrid without paying attention to the dragon ahead of him, so the
dragon fires at him. Snotlout is knocked out. Meanwhile, Astrid, who is aware of the harm, moves to the
other position. She moved beside Hiccup. Hiccup is also talking with her without concentrating on the
dragon ahead, so he is blasted as well. The quoted conversation: 0:19:20 - 0:19:25
Hiccup: So, I guess it’s just you and me, huh?
Astrid: Nope, just you.
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Nope” is a negative slang reply for “no.” In the
situation, Astrid moved beside Hiccup. Hiccup said to her that “So, I guess it’s just you and me, huh?” but
Astrid said “Nope” and moved to the other position. Hiccup is blasted by the dragon.
Babe : Snotlout tries to show his ability in front of Astrid by tossing a hammer, but he misses. He
makes some excuse that does not make sense. The quoted conversation: 0:26:45 - 0:26:50
Snotlout: Watch out, babe. I’ll take care of this.
Astrid: Hey!
Snotlout: The sun was in my eyes, Astrid!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Babe” is a sweetheart, good looking, nice person,
great body, someone you really like, a loving term. In the situation, Snotlout calls Astrid, who is adorable,
attractive, and nice-looking, a “Babe.”
Mom : Fishlegs saw a tattoo on the left side of Tuffnut, but he said it was not there. It is a
birthmark. The quoted conversation: 0:34:13 - 0:34:23
Fishlegs: Your Mom let you get a tattoo?
Tuffnut: It’s not a tattoo. It’s a birthmark.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, the word “Mom” is an informal word for “mother.” In the
situation, Fishlegs wonders why Tuffnut’s mom doesn’t know that he has a tattoo.
Yep : Hiccup shepherds the dragon to the enclosure, throws the eel, which the dragon is afraid
of, inside, and shuts the door. He’s shocked the teens and Gobber with what he’s done. The quoted
conversation: 0:38:57 - 0:39:04
Hiccup: Okay! So, are we done? Because I’ve got some things I need to, uh... Yep. I’ll... see-see
you tomorrow!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Yep” is an absolute “yes” that conveys far more
than a simple affirmation. In the situation, After the arena is over, Hiccup tries to return quickly after
calming the dragon because he still has an errand to run. He uses “Yep” to sum up his conversation.
Bud : Hiccup was riding on Toothless’ back as he soar across the ocean. In the meantime, he’s
training the toothless to fly with his invention, which helps them as well. The quoted conversation:
0:43:34 - 0:44:22
Hiccup: Okay there, bud, we’re gonna take this nice and slow.
Hiccup: Here we go. Here we go...
According to the Oxford Languages, the word “Bud” is a shortened version of “Buddy.” In this situation,
Hiccup is going to teach the toothless, who is his “buddy” or “friend,” how to fly with his invention.
Buddy : Hiccup was riding across the sea on Toothless’ back. He uses his invention to train the
toothless to fly in the meantime, which also assists them. The quoted conversation: 0:43:38 - 0:44:12
Hiccup: Alright, it’s go time. It’s go time.
Hiccup: Come on, buddy, come on, buddy!
According to the Oxford Languages, the word “Buddy.” means “a close companion who you
hang together with.” In this situation, Hiccup plans to train the toothless in flying using his innovation. He
calls Toothless a “buddy” as one of his friends.
gosh : Hiccup’s diagram flies away, and he tries to catch it, but unhooks the safety cord and falls.
He tries to get back on the saddle, getting smacked with Toothless’ tail in the process. The quoted
conversation: 0:44:53 - 0:45:07
Hiccup (cont.): NOOOOOO!!! Oh, gosh! Oh, gods! Oh, no! Alright! You gotta kind angle yourself!
Okay, no, no, no... come back down towards me! Come back down-- YOW!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “gosh” is another word for “god.” In the situation,
Hiccup was extremely shocked when he fell off the toothless saddle and his diagram flew away on the
firmament. He is saying “gosh” to express his feeling of shock at that time.
gotta : At Meade Hall, where everyone is gathered, the vikings plan to prepare for the next
journey to find the dragon’s nest. Stoick asks other Vikings to join him, but they refuse his participation.
Viking2: Today’s not good for me.
Viking3: I’ve gotta do my axe returns.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “gotta” is a shortened version of “have got to.”
“Gotta.” In the situation, some vikings tried to avoid Stoick’s participation by saying that they had errands.
’till : Stoick feels relieved after being worried about Hiccup for a long time, and he has expressed
this feeling to Hiccup. The quoted conversation: 0:48:05 - 0:48:14
Stoick: And believe me, it only gets better!

Stoick: Just wait ’till you spill a Nadder’s guts for the first time!
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “’till” is the short form of “until.” In this
situation, Stoick expresses his feelings for Hiccup, saying that he has been worried for a long time.
kinda : After Hiccup has made the dragon settle, he tries to rush back after the arena ends
because he is going to see the toothless, which is his own dragon’s name. The quoted conversation:
0:50:26 - 0:50:33
Gobber: Not so fast!
Hiccup: I’m kinda late for--
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “kinda” is used in writing to represent an
informal way of saying “kind of.” In the situation, Hiccup behaved strangely, as if there were something he
was unable to say.
my man : As Hiccup enters the arena and takes a dagger from the weapons display, Tuffnut
encourages his friend. The quoted conversation: 1:01:06 - 1:01:17
Gobber: It’s time, Hiccup. Knock him dead.
Tuffnut: Show ’em how it’s done, my man!
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “My man” means a person who is your friend. In the
situation, Tuffnut uses the word “my man” to refer to Hiccup as his friend.
Tweak : Gobber has created a metal leg to suit Hiccup, but Hiccup thinks that he will take some
time to slightly modify it. The quoted conversation: 1:27:34 - 1:27:43
Gobber: Well, most of you. [Gestures to his metal leg] That bit’s my handiwork. With a little
“Hiccup Flair” thrown in. You think it’ll do?
Hiccup: I might make a few tweaks.
According to the Urban Dictionary, the word “Tweak” means “to make a fine adjustment.” In this
situation, Hiccup believes he will take some time to make a small modification to the metal leg that
Gobber has designed for him.
Discussion
Based on the findings of analyzing the slang words used in the movie “How to Train Your Dragon”
(2010), it can be concluded that the majority of slang words used were categorized as Fresh and Creative, with
16 words accounting for 57.14% of the total number, and they can be categorized into five types. The most
frequently used words are Dad (20 times), Yeah (17 times), and Bud (11 times), respectively. According to slang
types, Fresh and Creative obtain the most slang (16 slang words). This might be because these slang words
found are commonly used in everyday life conversation, especially among children.
In comparison to a study by Syahputra and Syafitri (2022), An Analysis of Slang Used in the Movie Ralph
Breaks the Internet (IMDb.com Inc., 2023), 24 slang words were found, and the dialogues of the animated comedy
in the film are quite laid-back and applicable to daily life. In contrast, “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010) was
categorized as an animated, action, and fantasy film, so the dialogue leans more toward the action side. The
wordplay enhances the watching experience even if the film does not emphasize comedy or oddity. Thus, these
slang phrases are quite rare. Most of the slang phrases in the 2010 film “How to Train Your Dragon” have a more
general definition resulting in both children and adults understanding the meaning easily.
As for Ndoa’s (2021) study of the movie Straight Outta Compton, 45 slang words were found in
the movie, which is more than the slang words found in “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010) (28 slang
words). This might be because Straight Outta Compton is a movie where most of the slang is used by
black people and rappers. Thus, a particular type of slang words are widely used. However, there are
similarities between the two pieces of research. One thing is the use of imitative and clipping to make the
characters’ speech sound fluent and native-like when they are speaking. However, since children are its
main target audience—although adults can watch it too—“How to Train Your Dragon” (2010) does not
contain any profanity; while Straight Outta Compton employs strong slang and swear words.
Likewise, with a study of Syahputra and Syafitri (2022), an analysis of slang used in the movie
Ralph Breaks the Internet (IMDb.com Inc., 2023), there are 24 slang words found, and the dialogues of the
animated comedy in the film are quite laid-back and applicable to daily life. In contrast, “How to Train
Your Dragon” (2010) was categorized as an animated, action, and fantasy film; the dialogue leans more
toward the action side and includes a lot of fighting. The wordplay enhances the watching experience
even if the film does not emphasize comedy or oddity. These slang phrases are thus quite rare. The
majority of the slang phrases in the 2010 film “How to Train Your Dragon” have a broad definition that
both children and adults can understand.
Given that the cartoon is popular among young viewers, and since most of the phrases have the
meanings of friendship and family throughout the movie, there are no offensive words used in the slang.
As a result, it can be implied that most of the characters in the film live as a family with the main
characters being particularly close to each other.
Conclusion
Concerning the results of this study, it was found that there are 28 slang words that appear in the
movie “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010). There are five types of slang words found, including Fresh and
Creative found the most, 16 times (57.14%), followed by Clipping, 7 times (25%). Imitative was found 4
times (14.29%) and Flippant was found only once (3.57%), while Acronym was not found in the film. This
study of the slang words used in the movie contributes to the comprehension of the researchers and
interested people in the field in relation to English slang structure and its classification based on the
theory in the literature. What’s more, in the study, the meanings in context of the slang words have been
explicitly identified and explained based on the contexts in which the characters use them in the movie.
In addition, it could help viewers take the slang seen in the movie and use it in their daily lives or employ
it in other fields of study.
Recommendations for future research

The researchers suggest that this study can provide a reference for other researchers who are
interested in using slang words deeper as a research question in more depth, or for native speakers
according to the previously mentioned conclusions. Also, this study should be able to advise English as a
Foreign Language learners on slang usage and vocabulary enhancement.
The researchers really hope that the future researcher will find this research to be helpful as a
reference if he or she wishes to conduct research on slang words in various topics, consisting of watching
many movies to analyze the type of slang that is mostly used in each movie based on others theories or
using quantitative methods that require participants to take a pre-test and post-test about the
participants’ knowledge of English slang. The results then are compared for analysis. In addition, further
research might be conducted on a wide range of subjects, including western songs, social media, novels,
and daily life conversations that are not just in movies, all of which could be involved with use of slang.
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วารสารศิลปศาสตร์ มทร.

ธัญบุรี ปีที่ 4 ฉบับที่ 2 (กรกฎาคม-ธันวาคม 2566)

การวิเคราะห์คาสแลงที่ใช้ในภาพยนตร์เรื่อง “How to Train Your Dragon”

Received 02/05/2023 Revised 30/09/2023 Accepted 04/10/2023

Keywords: slang words, animations, films, movie scripts

Use of Slang Words

Objectives of the Study

Table 2 Clipping Type of Slang

Stoick: And believe me, it only gets better!

Recommendations for future research

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